Ambrosia
Cognac, applejack, orange liqueur and lemon, shaken and topped with champagne. Arnaud's New Orleans drink of the 1930s — a Sidecar with apple brandy and bubbles, named for the food of the gods.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a champagne flute.
Add the cognac, applejack, orange liqueur and lemon juice to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake for 10 seconds.
Strain into the flute and top with chilled champagne.
A thoughtful finish
- A bonded applejack (Laird's) has the apple to stand up to the cognac.
- Keep the orange liqueur small; the champagne brings its own lift.
- Serve it in a coupe if you prefer a wider nose.
Common mistakes
- Sweet sparkling wine, which makes it cloying.
- Too much lemon; the champagne is tart already.
- Shaking the champagne.
A few good questions.
What does an Ambrosia taste like?
A Sidecar with apple and bubbles — brandy, apple, orange and lemon lifted by champagne.
Who created it?
Arnaud's in New Orleans, in the years after Prohibition, by the usual account.
Applejack or calvados?
Either; applejack is the New Orleans original, calvados is drier.
Is it a French 75?
Same shape — spirit, citrus, sugar and champagne — with two brandies instead of gin.
Variations
- Sidecar — Cognac, orange liqueur and lemon.
- French 75 — Gin, lemon, sugar and champagne.
- Jack Rose — Applejack, lemon and grenadine.
- Champagne Cocktail — Champagne, sugar, bitters and cognac.
Where it comes from
c. 1930s · New Orleans · Arnaud's Restaurant
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
The Ambrosia is credited to Arnaud’s, the French Quarter restaurant Arnaud Cazenave opened in 1918, and dated to the end of Prohibition, when the house could pour champagne again; it is a Sidecar built with equal cognac and applejack, a touch of orange liqueur and lemon, shaken and topped with champagne in a flute. The name is the food of the gods, and the drink’s pedigree is a little vague — it appears in New Orleans bar books from the 1930s and in Stanley Clisby Arthur’s Famous New Orleans Drinks of 1937. It is lighter and more festive than a Sidecar and the apple brandy gives it a Jack Rose’s fruit. Arnaud’s still serves it.
Sources
- Stanley Clisby Arthur, Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em, 1937 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Ambrosia, 2012 (reference)
- Arnaud's Restaurant, house cocktails, current (producer)
Strength. About 1.9 US standard drinks at an estimated 20.9% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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